BTF/PTM

Discount Tire agreed to match the price and shipping from Tire Rack =) I'm still doing some research, but I'm leaning toward the Sumitomo's. Haven't found a lot on the Capitol Negotiators except "it's a good tire for the money" and although I don't need top performance I do want enough performance to have fun.

Is that "5 speed" emblem from an old CVCC Honda? Make sure the VIN plates on the car all match. The engine won't match since it's a 2.8, but there are VIN plates on the right front strut tower, left side of firewall near the brake booster, driver dash area and above the driver door striker. I'll repeat what's been said about the quality of advice from this forum. They helped me find a good solid starting platform for my own project 240z. They also helped me avoid a couple cars that would have been rust and crash repair nightmares. Take tons of pictures and post the photobucket link here, the group has a ton of experience and will tell you honestly if a car looks worth its price or worth anything at all.

Hi everyone, So the final step to getting the z road-safe is to put fresh rubber on her. I'm using the slotted 14" alloys. I've decided on a 205/60R14 after reading some posts here and doing some research of my own. I don't need super sticky tires, a tire that's good for spirited twisty road driving and perhaps an autocross meet or two will suit my needs. I'm going to be in the learning-the-car phase for quite a while, so I won't need tires that allow the car's limits to be pushed yet. Hopefully that makes sense. Evans Tire has taken care of my pickup's tire needs in the past, so it would be nice to work with them again, but the only tire they offer is the Capitol Negotiator. Good news is, I can get all four installed out the door for $295. Does anyone have feedback on these tires? The rating of this tire is a 300 tread wear with traction and temperature ratings of A. I'm also looking at the Sumitomo HTR 200 in the same size, it seems to be a very economical tire with great tread and temp ratings. Anyone have feedback on these? I can get these from Discount Tire and can probably have them match Tire Rack's pricing. Are there other good economical tires to look at in the $300 proximity? I haven't looked into what a set of Falken Azenis would cost, I autocrossed on those with my CRX and aboslutely loved them but I don't remember what they cost. Thanks for the feedback, guys.

Ok, so I'm going to put the 4-speed and R180 I have up for sale since I don't intend to use them. Just to clarify, there is no way to readily identify the specific year or anything else about the gearbox based on the numbers stamped on it, right? I just have to say "Datsun 4-speed for sale" and go with it? Thanks, guys

Thanks guys! Looks like I just need some spray cleaner and a wire brush for the worst of it. I'd like to pull the rear cover to see what gear ratio it is and just to look becuz I've never opened a differential before, so maybe I'll do the external wire brush scrub and then open it up and refill it with fresh oil and paint it so it's shiny like Kinfish's.

The factory R180 out of my z (it has a non-LSD R200 in it) is absolutely caked with grime. Is there a specific method and/or cleaner that's best for getting all that off? Can the whole assembly be dunked in a bucket full of solvent? Perhaps I could have it hot-tanked?

Thanks Arne! Grantf, the car is nothing short of riotously fun to drive. It's a bouncy, rattly, noisy little sport coupe that's happier going 90 than 70 and I'm already completely addicted to it! It makes all the right sounds, has the right vantage point, and who can deny that the hood bump and fender shoulders are downright sexy when seen from inside the windshield! I can't wait to get further into improving it little bits at a time.

So she's officially home, parked in my garage. Got me from San Marcos back to San Diego with no problems at all other than mirrors that shifted to a completely useless position almost immediately. First thing tomorrow morning, Z Whizz Auto Repair (which is right near where I work) is gonna look at the brake system, mostly to check the vacuum booster. The car stops, but it really takes some effort on the pedal. The hand brake cable needs to be adjusted, too, so I'll see if they can do that. As mentioned above, I gotta get the safety stuff done first - a car that goes like mad isn't much good if it doesn't stop. I've already got a pair of new 3-point Motorsport Auto seat belts to go in, those old belts need to be updated. The next big thing, and this is a safety thing, too, is how to seal (or vent) the cabin so it doesn't continually pull in exhaust fumes. I'm told almost all z cars do that, so hopefully some new sealing rubber and some tricks from the experts can help. I'm excited, I have my first z car!! :beer:

For realz this time! First, thanks big time to Motorman7 for meeting with me this past saturday. He showed me his own cars and tutored me on what to look for when shopping. We went to look at one together, turned out to need quite a bit more rust repair than claimed. One frame rail was hollowed out, and the same-side door and fender were just about keeping pace. As I was leaving his house, he mentioned one on Craigslist that he thought would be a good buy if the bottom looked as clean as the top. Turns out the car was just a short distance from there, so I went to look at it. Below is a link to what I found. http://s132.photobucket.com/albums/q27/AwwsChwA/72%20240z%202p8L%20R200/ It's a 5/72 car. Clean, solid chassis and a paint job that was done pretty well except for a couple rust spots on the hatch deck that will need to be treated before they get out of hand. The area under the right tail light on the rear valence had been mildly hit, so it was straightened and smoothed. Rust spots were treated at the rims of the rear fenders and also a couple spots on the driver door. Glass was all removed to do the paint, and the car was down to bare metal while rust and dents was repaired. It's got an L28 and a non-LSD R200 in it already, and I'm picking up a later model 5-speed with the car. It's basically the power train I wanted to do without having to search for anything. It's got stock 240z ignition that either needs tuning or upgrading. Started up without the slightest hesitation after sitting long enough for the battery to die, and aside from mild stuttering at certain RPM it ran really well. Smooth shifts, good acceleration, didn't smell any oil burning, good clutch feel, brakes that didn't pull or squeal. The car does have a 15/16" master cylinder in it with otherwise stock brakes, though, so they felt weak. Gauges all work, but the clock is dead. Front bumper is present, but not the rear. This is ok, I'd like to powdercoat a pair of bumpers eventually so finding a less-than-perfect piece should be fairly easy. Oh, and the sugar scoops are metal. Center console is beat up and dash is cracked and some of the trunk trim is missing, but the seats are good and adjust properly. Carpets are in good shape, and it has the original steering wheel in it. I think I'll keep that The car is on its third or fourth coat of paint, it's hard to tell. The utility compartments behind the seats are lime green, so I think that was the original color, but the trunk metal and spare tire bowl are white. Is that what the lime color does when it fades? Also, at some point the car was painted black, or at least parts of it were. It's orange now, and it happens to be a color that I think is very fitting to a 240z The VIN plate is gone from the windshield area, but the plates on the strut tower and door sill both match. Again, thanks to Motorman7 for going over everything with me. Thanks to BobC also, for looking at so many links and pictures for me. I think I've found a good starting platform for my project. The car comes with quite a few extra goodies not mentioned, I'll address that later. All opinions are welcome, even if you don't like it. You don't gotta like it

Just a final note, I never could get the owner to send me any pictures of the undercarriage. He's pretty ego-bruised from the whole ordeal of having restored a car and, aside from realizing he's not nearly as into restoring cars as he thought before he took on such a big project, realizing he's not going to get the car's total cost out of its actual worth and he's taking it out on prospective buyers. Heck with him, no time for people who don't operate within the spectrum of the real.

They key words are "for now". I've seen his garage and his collection and his restoration gadgetry, he's got a full-blown addiction going and when this one is done it will make way for many more to come

I did, I put two bids down that were promptly outbid by someone's automatic price cap. The "what if" bundle in my head got to me after the price got above $4k, I figure if I'm going to pay that much for a car I at least want to see it in person first.

Owner says the problem is flaky buyers failing to come through with the money they offer, but who knows...I'm pretty sure I'm pi&&ing him off with the email I just wrote explaining as politely as I could that z car buyers need to know the chassis is solid before they start, but oh well. If he don't wanna sell it, he ain't gonna sell it. Shouldn't be a show stopper to request a few minutes' worth of pictures.

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/cto/1616169965.html I've been corresponding on and off for a while, and the car has been for sale for a while. I'm working on getting some pictures of the undercarriage, but the owner's frustration in not having sold the car is showing in his writing; he's not up for much more having to do with anything but someone buying the car. Anyway... Is anyone in the North Hollywood area? It's over 2 hours for me (assuming no traffic) and I'd like to see the car but at the common-sense advice of fellow forum members I'm not going to make the drive up and back without getting the basics.

Definitely good to know that you're in the bidniss of looking over vehicles, I'll keep that handy I don't need this ezzakt car, even if I could have put in a competitive bid the car is sure to get beyond what i can safely pay out before it's over, and I'm doing my best to exercise the patience in shopping for my z that all our forum members are assuring me will pay off :classic:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230439703487&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT I just sent a question to the seller to make sure the car is in southern california. Any reason why I shouldn't toss a bid on the table? Anyone here on the board competing for it? Any opinions on what it's really worth? *edit* Oh well, outbid before I even started =)

that's purdy! So THAT'S what floor pans and frame rails are supposed to look like That's definitely nice. I'd have to plot an as-soon-as-possible manual transmission swap for it which may be blasphemous to some members, though. Any other opinions on it? Good place to start?

I did get my deposit back, I truly believe the owner didn't realize the car's condition, and I'm vouching for his honesty on the issue because he was honest enough to mail my deposit back to me so i could save the four-hour drive and fuel cost. Anyway... I'll toss in a few points of what I'm looking for here too while I'm typing. I wrote a lot of this to BobC in regard to his question on whether my budget will work. Here goes: - I completely understand that a 100% maintenance free z car is out of the question without getting ridiculous on the price. - my budget can be substantially more than 3k; I was hoping to find my starting platform for about that price. See below. - I completely understand that with 3k or there abouts I'm not going to find a car that doesn't require some sort of work and refurb. - My goal is to start with a complete car that, even if it does have some of the tell-tale rust, has a sound frame and unit body that isn't going to disintegrate on me to the point of being unsafe as I get the thing running well and back to an enjoyable drivable state. Basically, if sheet metal will need replacement in the next few years as I plan for it and save for it, I'm alright with it if it means I can still continue to improve the car's drivability. Hopefully that makes sense... - I'm ok with a car that maybe has an engine that won't start or even that needs a rebuild. That's the kind of work I enjoy most about a project car - engine/power train/suspension is my cup of tea. - I don't plan on building a z with a 100% accurate everything. It will always have a straight 6 and one of the various interchangeable transmissions and thus always be a Datsun at heart, but things like racing seats, performance engine internals/carbs and suspension upgrades are a definite. Details like correct seats, flawless interior and correct carburetors aren't a big deal to me as I look for a car. - Regardless of what color it is, it will eventually get repainted (properly) as I continue the project, but that will be much later, after I have a happily drivable car. Cosmetics, like flawless paint or even not original paint as long as the more recent paint isn't a result of a cover-up, are secondary as long as the above mentioned sheet metal is sound enough for me to have a working platform to start with. - and a final point, I'm not opposed to a 260z or even a 280z if it's not newer than '75 so the smog exemption still holds. Oh, and no 2+2 cars. I hope that helps a bit, I know everyone's taste is different so i figured I'd lay my own tastes out. Thanks for everyone's feedback, this board has already saved me tons of trouble!!

sigh...ok, so it looks like a lot of what i thought was bad paint is actually putty and rust cover-up. Maybe I just wanted to believe it was better than it was. Thanks for the help yet again, guys, this thread definitely saved me a lot of headache and potentially my life if that fabricated frame rail would have gone out.

^ that's what I was asking about with reference to the two rails looking different. What does that look like to you? I didn't notice it until I was uploading the pictures after I'd returned from looking at the car.

Ok, here is the picture link: http://s132.photobucket.com/albums/q27/AwwsChwA/orange%20240z/ One thing I noticed going back through the pictures is the passenger side frame rail - it looks different from the driver side. Anyone know what that's about? Oh, and the VIN is HLS30-69150

Ok so I've ridden in it and gotten a good look all over it and here are the pros and cons: pro: no rust to speak of except for hatch deck which will likely need replacement engine and transmission seem in great shape, good idle and power with no leaks and no unusual transmission noises. Shifting is smooth, clutch action is sure, throttle response is great. Interior is complete, but of course needs some work. Brakes work well and wipers n headlights n tail lights work. One blinker bulb on each side is dead. No biggie Looks like all chrome is in good shape considering age. Nothing some steel wool can't bring back to life. cons: temp guage and oil guage appear inaccurate - they appear to work, but the needles look like they're not pointed correctly. They go waaaaay down past the zero mark when shut off, so when they're working it looks like they're both reading really low. Rear bumper is missing and the rear valence looks a little beat up- not severe but has some dents and has some filler in a couple places under the paint. Not a big deal to me., it's intact and free of rust. Passenger door isn't quite aligned, it jumps up on the striker a bit. It isn't severe and the door hinges aren't rough at all, so I don't think the door is damaged. Neither door window rolls smoothly into it's channel, they both need a little help. Door locks don't seem to work with knob or with key - frozen? Has dash cap. Again not a huge deal for me, it'll be on the list of things to hunt down for replacement. climate control is intact but the heat lever doesn't move to the heat side. seats are shot but usable (minor). no driver side seat belt. Also not a big deal, The Z Store has really cool reproduction seat belts. battery is dead (but battery tray looks great) cuz car had been sitting about 2 months in seller's garage. rear end makes distinct thunking sound as gears are engaged. Basically sounds like the bushings are worn, so parts are moving around but it doesn't sound like things are falling apart. I've heard much worse on much newer cars. paint was done cheaply and is kinda sloppy with close inspection. Drips, overspray on some window seals, spots where the primer chipped and it was sprayed anyway, little things like that. Not a show stopper, and the car looks great from a few feet away. Car was brown originally. Hatch deck is slathered with what looks like bondo or putty to cover the rust so that's one panel that will need replacing. Nowhere else on the car looks like that, though, and the magnet trick helped. No filler that I could find except for the rear bumper valence and that hatch deck. Exhaust fumes leak into cabin pretty bad, in my experience that either means leaky exhaust/flanges and/or a leaky heater core. Both minor problems, but it definitely needs to be addressed. I have pictures that I'll upload shortly. Seller's bottom line is 3k. I've left a deposit, and the seller has agreed to hold the car till midnight tonite while I decide. Given the problems versus the ultimately solid chassis with a good powertrain, is 3k a good price? Personally I like the car and think that I probably won't find a registered, driving car for much less money. I've seen several cars in the low $2k range that were complete but either not running or hadn't run in years and had more rust or had original paint that would need work fairly soon and so on and so on. What say the group?

It's in our classifieds section, it's the one below. If it's as nice as the owner says, I may be picking up my first Z car. http://www.classiczcars.com/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=4643&cat=1

This is just a curiosity, I want to get some feedback from those who own v8 z-cars. I've been lectured by some very stubborn old-schoolers at work who are absolutely certain that a v8 in a z-car requires a tube frame and all kinds of custom work to make the car their own perception of drivable. For the record, none of these people have ever owned a z of any kind, most of them are the die-hard "Go America" types who scoff at anything that doesn't bear a Ford, Chevy or Mopar emblem (and of course they hate the other two of those respective names depending on which they own), and most of them are fans of either circle track and/or drag strip racing. I'm just curious as to how close or far they may be from being correct. Maybe the only possible solution they see is a tubbed strip-only car with a cage? What say the group?

asking price from the craigslist ad (which I couldn't find, may have expired) is $3000. He's turned down $1500, but that's as far as that conversation got since I wasn't prepared to make an offer just then. I'm going to talk to a couple body shops and get some quotes on finishing the car, and see where it goes from there. I'm afraid it will be $2k or more to do it right and also install the glass, which even if I could score a dirt cheap powertrain would be pushing the safe limits of my budget. Motorman, all the other parts seem to be there. Bumpers, interior, quarter windows, door windows, trim pieces, all of it. I ended up taking pictures with his camera cuz mine died mid-visit, so hopefully he'll remember to email those pictures to me and I'll put them up when they arrive. But yes, bumpers and all the other big trim parts are there and in decent shape. Oh, and since I can't find the ad, if other people are interested in talking to the seller, I can find out if it's alright to give you an email or phone number. The car is located in Mira Mesa, so maybe I'm just overlooking the ad and someone else can find it. edit: called the seller, he's ok with putting up his email so it's: shinigami_85@yahoo.com